While their colleagues were on summer recess, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) proposed passage of a border-security bill to Sen. Ben Cardin (D., Md.), who sat in the presiding official's chair. Mr. Cardin asked the empty room if anyone opposed, and, not surprisingly, the response was none.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

I ... crazy ... the senior senator from New York ... today I come to school or ... seek unanimous consent ... to pass a smart ... tough ... and effective six hundred million dollar bill that will significantly enhance the security and integrity of our nation's border ... which currently lacks the resources ... needed to fully combat drug smugglers ... gun runners ... human traffickers money launchers and other organised criminals ... that seek to do harm ... to innocent Americans ... along our border ... the Senate first pass this bill last week by unanimous consent ... last week's vote ended an impasse ... over how to pay for this package that all of us agree ... needed to be passed as soon as possible ... at first the House proposed border security bill that was not fully paid for and thus was unacceptable ... to many in the Senate ... and here in the Senate many of my colleagues on the other side wanted to pay for this bill by diverting critical funds from the stimulus ... the recovery Act ... this too was unacceptable ... because border security does not need to come at the expense ... of creating jobs for millions of Americans ... as important as border security is ... we should not be taking away jobs from Feierman in Buffalo and teachers in Syracuse in order to hire more agents in El Paso ... that is the worst kind of robbing Peter to pay Paul was simply an unacceptable way ... to pay for increased border security ... so instead of raising the deficit ... which we do not doing this deal ... or diverting vital stimulus funds ... the Senate ultimately agreed to pay for the border package by increasing visa fees on companies to hire foreign workers in a manner contrary ... to the original intent ... of the eight one b visa program ... after the Senate reached this compromise in unanimously approved this quarter package last week ... House approves the same substantive order package by voice vote on Tuesday ... regrettably the house was unable to simply pass the Senate bill ... because according to house rules ... because the Senate's offset did not originate in the house and had to be approved by the house first before the Senate's passage ... so today I can see the unanimous consent of my colleagues ... to approve its border security bill ... and to provide finally provide President Obama and Secretary McCollough Tama ... with the on the ground ... and the resources necessary ... to combat ... crime and violence that currently exists on our side and four ...